Sponsors

Luke asked Shelley, "Are all the people I invited here?"

"Everyone is here. Regardless of whether they are ready to defect to the Security Bureau, they will definitely give our Secret Intelligence Bureau face. It's just... our future days will be difficult."

Shelley showed a pessimistic mood.

In the past, the Secret Intelligence Bureau and the Security Bureau had a certain tacit understanding regarding the interests of the docks. They never expected that as soon as the Mad Axe Gang had trouble, the Security Bureau would immediately act so ruthlessly.

It was as if they intended to drive the Secret Intelligence Bureau out of the dock interests.

Now, the Security Bureau was also threatening the sponsors of the Secret Intelligence Bureau.

Even though the Secret Intelligence Bureau had strongly protected the Mad Axe Gang, their inferior strength made some sponsors start planning for the future.

If the Secret Intelligence Bureau truly lost the docks this time and was strangled by the Raging Wave City Administration, relying on the meager salary from the headquarters would be worse than finding a ship and becoming a sailor.

Such leisurely days would probably be gone forever.

Would they have to resort to extorting small vendors for a living from now on?

While Shelley was frowning, Luke threw her a handbag and stood up to walk out.

"Take this and come with me to meet our sponsors.

The Mad Axe Gang... I will protect them!

The docks... no one can take them away!"

"What is this?" Shelley wanted to open it, but seeing Luke had already walked out, she immediately picked up the handbag and chased after him.

The third-floor conference room was filled with smoke.

The influential figures from various factions who had accepted the invitation were smoking and discussing the events that had occurred at the Mad Axe Gang headquarters.

"I think the Mad Axe Gang definitely won't be able to hold on. I heard that Black Jack spent a lot of money to hire all the sailors in Cape Port, thousands of them! If Jumu were here, the Mad Axe Gang might have been able to hold on, but now, with Lambert?

Tomorrow, we'll see his head being kicked around like a ball."

"The Security Bureau must have also spoken to you. Director Holt is extremely determined to take over the docks. Our detective chief has just taken office and is probably no match for Holt."

"Are you planning to defect to the Security Bureau! No matter how the Security Bureau and the Secret Intelligence Bureau fight, the Secret Intelligence Bureau will still be here. Aren't you afraid the Secret Intelligence Bureau will settle scores with you later?"

"We are afraid, of course we are afraid, that's why we came. We'll have a good talk with Detective Meteor about our difficulties. At worst, we'll give money to the Security Bureau and also to the Secret Intelligence Bureau.

It's just that the amount of money definitely can't be the same as before."

"Alas... the masters of the Security Bureau and the Secret Intelligence Bureau fight, and it's us, the people working below, who suffer. We not only have to pay with money but also with our lives.

Do you know that someone posted a bounty on Jumu the Horned Demonkin at the Assassin Tavern... 5,000 Gold Vouchers.

It was those 5,000 Gold Vouchers that caused over a hundred skilled fighters from the Mad Axe Gang to die, plus those who died last night. The various factions in Cape District combined have lost nearly a thousand people!

I don't know when this will end. I'm really afraid that I'll be the one whose head is kicked around like a ball."

"Captain Hamilton, you also have considerable business on the docks. What do you think of this matter?"

When someone mentioned Hamilton's name, the others fell silent and looked at a middle-aged man wearing a triangular sailor's hat.

His skin was very rough from years of sun exposure from sailing, and there was a centipede-like scar on his face.

He was Captain Hamilton, who commanded a fleet and controlled docks second only to the Mad Axe Gang. After Jumu's death, his strength and influence made him the number one among these people.

If everyone wanted to jump ship from the leaking vessel of the Secret Intelligence Bureau, Captain Hamilton was undoubtedly the best candidate to represent them in negotiations with the Secret Intelligence Bureau's detective chief.

Captain Hamilton had not spoken since entering the conference room. Instead, he had been observing everyone with his sharp eyes, honed by years at sea.

Seeing that everyone had nominated him to step forward, he slowly said, "Everyone, you should all be very clear about how the Secret Intelligence Bureau treated us in the past. While they also took money, the Security Bureau couldn't offer us the same care as the Secret Intelligence Bureau.

The Mad Axe Gang also made you a lot of money!

What... the Mad Axe Gang is in trouble now, and you're ready to watch them die? Detective Meteor, on his first day in office, is willing to protect the Mad Axe Gang, and you're all in such a hurry to jump ship?

We sailors fear working with people like you the most."

Captain Hamilton's words silenced the conference room. Everyone smoked, lost in their own thoughts.

After a while, Pisco pushed open the door and shouted, "The Detective Chief is here!"

Everyone in the conference room quickly stood up and bowed to Luke as he entered, "Greetings, Detective Chief Meteor."

"Good, good, good..." Luke waved enthusiastically and greeted everyone, "Please sit down! We are all among ourselves here, no need to be so formal..."

"Thank you, Detective Chief."

Luke greeted everyone warmly, then suddenly took out a gun from his chest and shot Captain Hamilton, who was bending down to sit, directly in the head.

He then fired three more shots.

The bullets all drilled into his head, and Captain Hamilton collapsed onto the table, dead on the spot.

Everyone was stunned.

What was this!

Could it be... the Secret Intelligence Bureau gathered us here to eliminate us all?

Shelley, who had battlefield experience, reacted quickly, drew her gun, and aimed it at the room, "Everyone, put your hands where I can see them."

Those who wanted to resist immediately raised their hands.

They all knew the lethality of Black Mamba, and they knew she would truly dare to pull the trigger.

Someone asked, "Meteor Detective Chief... we have not betrayed the Secret Intelligence Bureau; we are willing to exhaust all our efforts to support the Mad Axe Gang."

Shelley controlled the scene and whispered to Luke, "Detective Chief, Captain Hamilton is one of our own. The warning from the Security Bureau was something he told me about.

He also said he would help us persuade these fellows not to defect to the Security Bureau."

Luke holstered his pistol and said to Pisco, who was lingering at the doorway, "Carry Captain Hamilton's corpse out, then take men to his shipyard to arrest Doherty and Felix. Seize the Lucky Princess and bring me the safe hidden under the tenth floorboard to the left in the captain's quarters."

"Yes, Detective Chief!" Pisco walked in, shouldered Hamilton's corpse, and headed out.

At this moment, a group of Imperial Secret Agents who had heard the gunshot and rushed over to provide support burst into the room.

Luke ordered the secret agents to leave, then smiled at the sponsors and said, "Everyone, there is no need to be nervous. I killed Hamilton because he orchestrated the assassination of my predecessor.

Pisco has already gone to retrieve the evidence.

Please, everyone, take a seat. Let us discuss official business.

Black Mamba, put your gun away."

"Yes, Detective Chief." Shelley holstered her gun back into the sheath on her outer thigh, then asked, "How did you know it was Hamilton who killed the former Detective Chief?"

"Through investigation, of course." Luke looked at the sponsors who were still standing and said, "We do not have much time. When I tell you to sit, you had better sit down quickly."

"Sit down!" Shelley shouted.

The sponsors quickly found seats and sat down, all huddled at the far end of the conference table, with the closest one still four seats away from Luke.

This New Detective had walked in and shot Hamilton dead; regardless of the reason, it had truly terrified everyone.

After everyone was seated, Luke asked, "Anyone who wants to jump ship may leave now."

The sponsors wore miserable expressions.

In this situation... they didn't dare to leave even if they wanted to!